The Muppets 2011 Script

It's saying that this download will be harmful to my computer. Is this true?

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Any download can be harmful, but I've downloaded it and it seems to be fine.

I shall be giving this script a good read later! From the clips I've read, it certainly needs work, but I can't wait to see it! Parts of it remind me of Muppet Man...which i am NOT a fan of though (Grey-haired Gonzo). Glad that it got the changes that it needed!

Okay, so I'm roughly halfway through reading this script, and it's a bit of a mixed bag so far, but... dagnabbit, why didn't “MICHAEL CLAYTON 2: THIS TIME IT’S LESS COMPLICATED AND HAS MORE ACTION" make it into the final cut?

EDIT: Okay, so finished reading it, and that was VERY mediocre overall. I can certainly see why Frank Oz turned it down. I was about to make a looooooong rant about everything wrong about this first draft, but... meh, there's no point, the problems are obvious (the Muppets being out of character, the lack of any real emotional weight, Gary and Mary being bland as ****, referring to the Muppets as bloody PUPPETS. SEVERAL TIMES. WHAT), and the vast, vast majority of the first draft's flaws were evidently ironed out in future redrafts before the final version of the film - which I now admire, and am glad we have, more than ever before.

Still, some jokes in this first draft were funny and I wish they were left in, it would have been nice to get a full rendition of Together Again in the final film, and pretty much every character outside of Kermit, Piggy, Fozzie, Scooter, Walter and Animal seemed to have more to do in this script. But most of those small advantages the first draft has over the final are trivial, fan pleasing stuff anyway.

But yeah. So so so so so so so glad the script went through plenty of alterations before the final product began shooting.

I can't really see how Frank OZ was that upset...it feels like a very unpolished script. It seemed very rough with room open for better characterization. I can't imagine that a seasoned film veteran like Frank Oz couldn't tell that this needed a lot of work. The basic idea is there and that did work.

I can't really see how Frank OZ was that upset...it feels like a very unpolished script. It seemed very rough with room open for better characterization. I can't imagine that a seasoned film veteran like Frank Oz couldn't tell that this needed a lot of work. The basic idea is there and that did work.

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True, but that's easy for us to say now, having seen the final result.

I tried to imagine myself reading it without having any other information about the project and I know it would have made me very annoyed to imagine anyone making it into an actual movie.

Compare the Miss Piggy here to the Miss Piggy in the final movie, and I can totally see why it would be seen as totally disrespectful to her whole history.

I can't really see how Frank OZ was that upset...it feels like a very unpolished script. It seemed very rough with room open for better characterization. I can't imagine that a seasoned film veteran like Frank Oz couldn't tell that this needed a lot of work. The basic idea is there and that did work.

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I think the fan base and the media took everything out of context. Like I've said a million times, I'm a little more disappointed that Frank didn't help shape the script, but that's understandable since he's so busy with other things.

I'm going to wait until there's something on either Muppet wiki or tough pigs that detailed highlights of what this script was like before. Somehow it does seem like if they shot the movie that way, THEN all the criticisms would have been right. But said Muppet personnel fixed this movie and gave us the great film we got instead.

I think the fan base and the media took everything out of context. Like I've said a million times, I'm a little more disappointed that Frank didn't help shape the script, but that's understandable since he's so busy with other things.

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And still I don't know why you're assuming he'd even be listened to if he had tried.

And still I don't know why you're assuming he'd even be listened to if he had tried.

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The final project means they would listen.

Think of it this way... if you were a huge Muppet fan and wrote a script and showed it around some Muppet Vets who said, "So and So wouldn't say this! This script needs some rewrites, and I'd do things this way..." you'd gladly take the criticism and ask them for help to shape it into something better. This isn't one of those big studio "we wanna get money" type deals where they force a stupid concept into the film, this would be a suggestion from someone who was their near the beginning that personally knew Jim. The fact they even went to him off the bat shows how much respect they have for him. If Frank suggested anything, they'd gladly pull out a notebook and pen and scribble down anything he would have said, even if their arms were hurting. Why? Because any rational Muppet fan who's making a movie would.

It seems that Jason, Nick, and James were all for getting suggestions and feedback from the Muppet people at Disney and the puppeteers. They wouldn't have had a table read without it. Disney coulda just made the entire film sight unseen, but the Muppet staff wanted to craft something that's essentially a fan fic into an official product. Not once during the process did you hear stories of script problems by the studio that got the staff completely angry over the rewrites and suggestions they were given. This is the internet age. If someone so much gets a stomach bug while eating bad catered food on the set of the movie, we'd know what movie, which star, what they ate, and the name of the food company the second it happened.

So, yeah, it's an assumption, but there's far too much evidence to suggest that they didn't welcome the changes. This wasn't a Cool World or Looney Tunes BIA situation.

Think of it this way... if you were a huge Muppet fan and wrote a script and showed it around some Muppet Vets who said, "So and So wouldn't say this! This script needs some rewrites, and I'd do things this way..." you'd gladly take the criticism and ask them for help to shape it into something better.

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Not if I was with Sesame Street apparently.

Nor most of the Star Trek movie writers who quickly stopped taking the original creator's advice (arguably for good reason in that case).

This isn't one of those big studio "we wanna get money" type deals

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Every Hollywood movie is a big studio "we wanna get money" type deal.

The fact they even went to him off the bat shows how much respect they have for him.

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That I will grant.

If Frank suggested anything, they'd gladly pull out a notebook and pen and scribble down anything he would have said

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Again, you're assuming something you have no first hand knowledge of.

Disney coulda just made the entire film sight unseen...Not once during the process did you hear stories of script problems by the studio that got the staff completely angry over the rewrites and suggestions they were given. This is the internet age. If someone so much gets a stomach bug while eating bad catered food on the set of the movie, we'd know what movie, which star, what they ate, and the name of the food company the second it happened.

It seems that Jason, Nick, and James were all for getting suggestions and feedback from the Muppet people at Disney and the puppeteers. They wouldn't have had a table read without it. Disney coulda just made the entire film sight unseen, but the Muppet staff wanted to craft something that's essentially a fan fic into an official product. Not once during the process did you hear stories of script problems by the studio that got the staff completely angry over the rewrites and suggestions they were given. This is the internet age. If someone so much gets a stomach bug while eating bad catered food on the set of the movie, we'd know what movie, which star, what they ate, and the name of the food company the second it happened.

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Well, the DVD and blu-ray come out next week. Maybe they'll reveal any big problems on the audio commentary...

There's a difference. The Muppet movie had to answer to a nostalgic fan base, while that sort of fan base is the least of SW's problems. I mean, we're here to buy shirts and watch clips on youtube. They have to deal with so many child educators and child psychologists, all the while having to compete with vapid changes to kid's programming. I tend to think the writers and staff secretly harbor a resentment towards that, but they have to comply to compete. Educational shows have a LOT more to answer to than people that watched them when they were kids and liked them is what I'm saying.

You know, I'm a little scared to download this, mainly because downloading might not be safe. I'm sure I'll eventually give in, but I'm not sure.
But tell me, does this draft have Uncle Deadley? Is it the one that ends with it revealed that Tex Richman was really Kermit?

I've read some mention that the Muppets seem to have awkwardness after returning. I sort of expected that in the movie (the "You think we should have rented a bigger car?" scene seems to have shown some signs of awkwardness, especially in the trailer when we see more of the scene). It is weird that, when they are all together, it's like they'd never really had any conflict (aside from Kermit and Piggy's conflict).